Bubble blowing top



June 12, 1951 w. J. GRAY BUBBLE BLOWING TOP Filed Aug. 7, 1948 IN VEN TOR. 7

AMA/261M Patented June 12 1951 UNi rep s miss ATE-N T OFFICE BUBBLE BLOWING TOP William J. Gray, Seattle, Wash.

Application August 7, 1948, 'Serial'No;4i3,033

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a bubble blowing top and an object of this invention is to provide .a top adapted for spinning and which will blow and release bubbles while it spins.

Another object is to provide atop adapted for spinning and which embodies a receptacle :for bubble solution, a conduit extending outwardly from said receptacle, and a loop of wire or like material carried by the top and positioned adjacent the outer end: portion of said conduit to receive from .said conduit bubble solution which is formed into bubbles and released. from said loop as the .top spins.

Another object is to provide a bubble blowing top which is. simple in construction, not expensive to manufacture, and which is highly efiicient and entertaining in operation.

Otherobjects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying .drawings.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is :a view in vertical .mid section, taken substantially.onJoroken line l of Fig. 2, and showing a bubble :blowing top constructed in accordance with this invention.

FigHZ is ,a plan view of the top shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, with parts broken away showing a top haV-ing -aperipheral groove and a bubble forming'loop-positioned inisuch groove.

The bubble blowing topshownin Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a shell or body portion consisting of side wall members 3 and .a top wall member 5. An axial pin 4 is provided atthe bottom of the top to support the top when it is spinning. A receptacle 6 for solution M from which bubbles can be blown. is fixedlysecured tothe top wall member 5 axially of the top. Clips 7,.stamped out of the top wall member 5 can be used to secure the receptacle 6 to said member 5. A removable-screw cap-8 is threaded onto the'top end portion of the receptacle 6 and is preferably provided with a sealing ring or gasket 9 to prevent leakage of bubble solution when the solution is subjected to centrifugal force due to spinning of the top.

The receptacle 6 can be used as a stem around which a string Hi can be wound for the purpose of spinning the top. Preferably the cap 8 has a rigidly secured upwardly extending tubular axial pin II on which a Wooden handle [2 is rotatively mounted to facilitate spinning the top. Also pref erably the cap 8 has a flange 13 to help prevent displacement of the string I 0. Obviously the top can be made so that spring means can be used for spinning it.

-An outlet'pi-pe or tube I5 for bubble forming -solu-tion is provided with an upwardly extending inner end-portion 16 which communicates with the receptacle 6. Preferably this tube i5 is disposed within the body portion of the topand-the outer end ofsaid tube extends at least to :the

circumferential portion of said top. "The tube !5 is provided at its outer or discharge end with a bubble forming loop ll. This loop can be formed of wire-and can have v.two end portions thereof inserted intoand'firmly held within .the

discharge end portion of the tube 15 in such a manner as to leave passageways through which bubble solution canflow outwardly tothe loop when the bubble solution is subjected .to-centri- .fugal force .due to spinning. of .the top. Preferably theloop H extends downwardlyfrom.theouter .end portion .of the tube and is positioned in a substantially radial plane as respects the body portion .of the top.

Preferably a gasket It is used to. seal against leakage at the location where the end :portion Theioutlet pipe is canbe .crimped :or flattened,

. as indicated by.; 2 to limit .or restrict the outward flow of bubble forming solution to the :loopJ'l. Another way of restricting the outward f-flow of bubble forming solution to the loop ll-is toplace in the pipe l'5yan obstruction, such as a piece .ofsponge, which will reduce but not entirelystop the outward flow of bubbleformingsolution.

The axial passageway in the tubular pin ll of the handle member is of small diameterso thatathere-will he very little leakage of the bubble solution if the top is inverted or-positioned-so that this pin .is inclined downwardly. #However this passageway is large enough to relieve-any vacuum or minus pressure in the receptacle which might otherwise interfere with the free feed of the bubble forming solution to the loop IT.

The bubble blowing top shown in Fig. 3 is similar in mode of operation to the top shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but differs in construction by providing in the outer circumferential wall of the top an annular groove 2| within which a bubble forming ring 24 is positioned. The ring 24 is similar to the ring I! of Figs. 1 and 2. The groove 2| shields the bubble forming ring 24 so that said ring is not liable to strike against fixed objects, such as a Wall or a floor. Also this groove 2| makes it possible to position the bubble forming ring 24 relatively close to the axis of the top.

This reduces the velocity of movement of the ring 2 3 through the air so that the top will use less bubble solution than it will if said ring 24 is farther from the axis of the top. The top shown in Fig. 3 has a receptacle 6 and a bottom pin 4 similar to the parts 6 and 4 hereinbefore described. A bubble solution outlet tube 22 having a restricted portion 23 therein is provided in the top shown in Fig. 3 and is functionally similar to the tube i5 with restriction 20 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

To use this top for bubble blowing the cap 8 is removed and any suitable bubble forming solution, several of which are readily obtainable on the market, is introduced into the receptacle 6 and the cap 8 is replaced. The top is then ready for spinning and, as it spins, the bubble solution will feed outwardly through the tube [5 or 22 under the influence of gravity and centrifugal force and will feed downwardly over the loop I! or 24 and spread in a film across said loop. Because the loop I! or 24 is moving rapidly through the air the air will expand the film thus formed into a bubble and this bubble will break away from the loop when it attains a reasonable size. In this way bubbles will be blown and released from the loop I? or the loop 24 in rapid succession as the top spins.

The passageways in the tube I5 and in the stem H are small enough so that there will not be objectionable leakage of the bubble solution when the top is not spinning. The top can be counterweighted to ofiset any unbalance produced by the bubble forming loop and conduit connected therewith.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose what I now regard as a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that changes can be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a top adapted for spinning, a body portion having a receptacle for bubble forming solution; and bubble forming discharge means connected with said receptacle and positioned to discharge bubbles from the top as the top spins.

2. A top comprising a body portion having a receptacle for bubble forming solution; outlet means connected with said receptacle and positioned to discharge bubble forming solution to the outer surface of said body portion; and a bubble forming loop positioned to receive solution discharging from said outlet means.

3. A top comprising a body portion, a coaxially positioned receptacle for bubble forming solution carried by said body portion: conduit means connected with said receptacle and extending outwardly to the outer surface of said body portion; and a bubble forming loop carried by the outer end portion of said conduit means and positioned in the path of bubble forming solution discharging from said conduit means.

4. A top comprising a body portion adapted for spinning; a coaxially positioned receptacle for bubble solution secured to the top wall of said body portion and extending upwardly therefrom; a conduit tube for bubble solution positioned within said body portion and communicating with said receptacle and having a discharge opening positioned to discharge bubble forming solution to the outer surface of said body portion; and a bubble forming loop connected with the body portion and positioned in the path along which bubble forming solution discharges from said discharge opening.

5. A top comprising a circular body portion adapted for spinning; a coaxially positioned receptacle for bubble solution secured to the top wall of said body portion and extending above said top wall; a radially disposed conduit tube for bubble solution positioned within said body portion and having one end thereof communicatively connected with said receptacle, the other end portion of said conduit tube being positioned circumferentially of said body portion; means provided in said tube for retarding the outward flow of bubble forming solution therein; and a bubble forming loop carried by the outer discharge end portion of said tube, said loop extending downwardly from said tube and being positioned in a substantially radial plane as respects said body portion, whereby bubble forming solution will flow outwardly through said tube under the influence of centrifugal force when the top is spinning and will be discharged from said loop in the form of bubbles.

6. A top comprising a circular body portion having a receptacle for bubble forming solution and having an external circumferential groove; a bubble forming loop carried by said body portion and positioned in and shielded by said groove; and conduit means communicating with said receptacle and extending to said loop adapted to deliver bubble forming solution to said loop as the top spins.

WILLIAM J. GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,278,208 Pruitt Sept. 10, 1918 2,394,093 Nalle Feb. 5, 1946 2,398,513 Bradley Apr. 16, 1946 2,412,732 Holman Dec. 17, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,806 Great Britain 1891 

